1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a work vehicle, more particularly to a work vehicle comprising a traveling vehicle such as a tractor, and at least a rear implement such as a backhoe mounted to the rear portion of the traveling vehicle body.
2. Description of the Related Art
As an example of the work vehicle of the above type, there is known a vehicle referred to as “TLB” (a tractor with a front loader and a backhoe) comprising a tractor, a front loader mounted to a front portion of the tractor and a backhoe mounted to a rear portion of the tractor. (See JP-A-2003-129513, for example.)
The backhoe of the work vehicle includes an excavator having a swing bracket, a boom, an arm, a bucket, etc., which are driven by e.g. a hydraulic unit comprising hydraulic cylinders. A control valve unit for controlling this hydraulic unit is disposed inside a control box of a controller mounted on a base frame of the backhoe. Further, a hydraulic pump for feeding a working fluid to the control valve unit and a working fluid tank holding the working fluid therein are mounted on the tractor, and a swing cylinder for pivoting the swing bracket is disposed within the base frame of the backhoe.
With the conventional work vehicle, since the control valve unit is disposed inside the control box mounted on the base frame of the backhoe, for e.g. connecting a hydraulic hose connected to the control valve unit to the swing cylinder, an operator needs to draw the hydraulic hose connected to the control valve unit out of the control box onto the base frame and then to extend the hose around the front portion of this base frame to eventually insert the hose into the base frame. Hence, the hydraulic hose needs to be manipulated for a significant distance in a rather meandering manner. In this way, the connecting operation of the piping (or hose) was very troublesome.
In view of the above-described state of the art, a primary object of the present invention is to provide a work vehicle which allows a swing hose connecting between a swing cylinder and a control valve unit to be formed shorter and arranged in a compact manner.